Photo By Senior Airman Joseph Bartoszek | From left, U.S. Army Spc. Johnny Gaconnier, 52nd Engineer Support Company combat...... read more read more
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I was just a normal college student in school, on track to become a carpentry teacher, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. A lot of my teachers started canceling classes, and eventually, the whole school closed. This stirred up a lot of concern for my future. I didn’t know if I would be able to go back to school, or even if things would go back to normal in general.
This time of uncertainty led to my decision to join the Army; I wanted to find security and stability, and the opportunity to also broaden my experiences and to be a part of something bigger than myself was something I couldn’t pass up.
I’ve always had a passion for helping others, whether through coaching youth football or filling a leadership role in the military. This passion brought me back to my initial dreams, and I pursued my teaching dreams. Now, while I serve my country in the National Guard, I’m also able to serve my community as a high school teacher.
I didn’t really know I wanted to be a teacher until my first teaching experience. Once I got in the classroom and realized the impact I can make and it was a really rewarding feeling. I get to teach kids life skills they might not learn at home; for example, I teach them how to change a tire and change the oil in their car - valuable life skills that truly make a difference.
A lot of what I teach ties back to what I do here, attached to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, with supporting improvements and the sustainment of posture locations as a 152nd Engineer Support Company team lead. By using my experience as a teacher, I get to teach my team the skills to be able to lead their own projects to add to our capabilities. Whether it's framing walls, creating technical drawings or using problem-solving skills; I can tie it back to teaching.
These teaching and leadership skills contribute to us as an engineer company as we build outstation locations and aid in supporting ongoing operations in East Africa. By having viable, enduring locations, we are able to enable forces to enhance regional security.
When I told my students it was my last day teaching them before my deployment, it was clear I had impacted many of them. It was bittersweet, and they were very upset, but they knew I was going to do great things and come back with plenty of pictures to show and stories to share with them. They surprised me with a going-away party and wrote me cards, and still fill my email after leaving, keeping me up to date with what they have been up to.
What keeps me going through my deployment is knowing that I am a role model for my students and I can represent my community in a positive way.
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2025 09:05 |
| Story ID: | 498813 |
| Location: | MANDA BAY, KE |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Humans of HOA: Soldier finds his purpose in teaching students, Soldiers, by SrA Joseph Bartoszek, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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